Question
I have some 24 year old taxus yew shrubs that are taking over and would like to trim them back drastically.  When is the best time to trim them and will it hurt to use pruning shears to trim them.  I do not have a saw to trim them with and would like to cut them down so when they do come back they are a manageable size.

I also have some Japanese Holly that needs to be trimmed.  When is the best time for trimming these and would it hurt to crimp the stems with a hand pruner or do I need a saw?
Help!  It is November and if winter is the time to trim then I need to do it now.

Answer
Hello Anelle

No need to panic about the pruning!

Taxus should be pruned in Summer or early Fall.  They will take 'renovation' pruning, which means cutting hard back as you plan to do.  

Whether or not you use a pruning saw or pruning shears depends largely on the diameter of the stems.  If they are under about 1" pruning shears should be OK as long as they are sharp and don't crush the stem.  If there are any ragged bits left on the cut edge, trim cleanly with a sharp garden knife.

The holly should be pruned/trimmed in the summer.  Again the choice of pruning saw or pruning shears depends on the size of the stems.  Follow the advice given for the Taxus.

I would, however, always recommend that any gardener with shrubs or small trees invest in a proper pruning saw.  They are small and very easy to use as they cut on the 'pull' rather than the 'push'.

Whether you use a 'pruning saw' or a conventional saw (if you acquire one) here's how to use it  -

if the stem is long and/or heavy, cut off about 1/2 to 2/3 of it first, then make a cut underneath about a quarter of the way through at the length you require.  Next cut through from the upperside of the stem to the cut on the underside.  Trim any ragged bits off with a sharp garden knife.

I hope I've been some help!